By Samantha Khela
Clipping your bird’s wings can be an intimidating task, and it definitely requires a lot of patience and practice to succeed. In the wrong hands, wing clipping can be risky and cause pain to your pet bird, but if you have a steady head and can follow these simple steps, you should be able to mitigate any potential hazards and do a great job.
Note: I would advise that if you do decide to clip your pet bird’s wings, it should only be for the purpose of safety or training. I am a strong believer that all birds should have the ability to fly, and I only recommend wing clipping when your bird is prone to accidents while flying or if you need a period of time where you can properly train your pet bird without them flying in fright. Nonetheless, clipping your bird’s wings is your choice – I hope you decide to do it for plausible reasons!
How to Clip Your Bird’s Wings
following simple steps, you can learn to clip your own bird’s wings at home safely. Have a read this article for instructions and advice that will help you along the way when you clip your bird’s wings at home. However, if you are unsure of your ability to clip your bird’s wings safely or if you become nervous even in the middle of doing a trim, it’s always best to stop. Bird Sitting Toronto offers wing clipping services which will alleviate your stress of wing clipping if you’re ever in such a situation, so feel free to reach out if you’d liked!
Have your bird first aid kit ready:
Regardless of whether you are confident in clipping your bird’s wings or you have done it before, accidents do happen! Before you begin clipping your bird’s wings, get your bird first aid kit and make sure it is nearby in preparation for any accident. It will be helpful for you to have quick access to your medical supplies if an unexpected accident occurs.
Pick a relaxed, quiet location:
Location is key when you’re going to clip your bird’s wings, as it’s important to pick a space where your bird will be as calm as possible. Try to choose a location away from your bird’s cage, in an area where there isn’t much noise from the household, or away from any loud, sudden noises. Choose a space such as a spare bedroom or bathroom, as it is less likely that your bird will jump or become aggressive while they are getting its wings clipped.
Seek assistance if necessary:
It’s a good idea to have a friend or family member help restrain your bird for you while you do the trimming. Many times that accidents happen, it’s when individuals are trying to work on parrots that are not restrained properly, so having a partner help you while you are clipping their wings will reduce the chance of accidents.
Use a towel to restrain your pet bird:
Using a towel to restrain your bird allows your pet to not only be comfortable but secure while you take the wing and trim the flight feathers. It also reduces the chance of you being bitten or scratched while also reducing the chance of your bird escaping from your grasp, jumping, or twisting free. Using a towel will also associate the experience with the towel and not your hand, which will keep your relationship with your bird in a safe place!
Cut only the primary flight feathers:
Generally, the most widely accepted, efficient, and effective method is to clip only the first three or five primary flight feathers on each of your bird’s wings. When trimming the feathers, be sure that you use sharp scissors and avoid cutting into feather shafts that appear dark in color. A dark feather shaft is a “blood feather,” which can cause serious problems if broken or cut.
Recovery:
When you are finished clipping your bird’s wings, it’s important to allow your pet bird to rest in its cage. Wing clippings can be stressful for your bird, so giving them some time to recuperate is essential. If you do get into the practice of clipping your bird’s wings more, though, your bird will start to get used to the process.
Flight feathers at this point will grow back between 6-8 weeks. Properly trimmed flight feathers as well do not actually prevent your parrot from flying completely. Instead, your pet bird should be “gliding” and should be able to land safely on the floor. If you have any troubles with wing clipping, Bird Sitting Toronto can teach wing clipping or even alleviate your worries by clipping your bird’s wings for you. Be sure to give us a call, text, or send an inquiry on our website to learn more.
